Seeking Transamerica Trail Group
 

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to ride the TransAmerica Trail starting sometime May 20th-30th, and I’m looking to form a group or find companions to ride with for safety and shared adventure. I’m 22, about to graduate college, and I am excited by this opportunity!

I’m flexible on the route and timing—I’d prefer riding east to west, but I’m happy to adapt based on what works best for the group. There’s no pressure to stick with the group the whole time; everyone is welcome to ride at their own pace, whether you like to cruise or go full speed. If you’re only available for part of the trail, that’s great too!

I won’t have a support vehicle, but if you want to bring one along, that’s totally fine—I’m happy to coordinate around that. The most important thing is staying safe.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, let’s chat and start planning! I’d love to share the adventure with fellow riders and make some amazing memories along the way.

Best,
Bobby

Seeking Transamerica Trail Group
 

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to ride the TransAmerica Trail starting sometime May 20th-30th, and I’m looking to form a group or find companions to ride with for safety and shared adventure. I’m 22, about to graduate college, and I am excited by this opportunity!

I’m flexible on the route and timing—I’d prefer riding east to west, but I’m happy to adapt based on what works best for the group. There’s no pressure to stick with the group the whole time; everyone is welcome to ride at their own pace, whether you like to cruise or go full speed. If you’re only available for part of the trail, that’s great too!

I won’t have a support vehicle, but if you want to bring one along, that’s totally fine—I’m happy to coordinate around that. The most important thing is staying safe.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, let’s chat and start planning! I’d love to share the adventure with fellow riders and make some amazing memories along the way.

Best,
Bobby

I believe ACA has an online “Companions Wanted” feature. IIRC, you have to be a member to post there.

But assuming you will be going east to west, you will likely run into others.

Best of luck on your epic adventure and hope you can find some buds. The age group here is a bit on the older side, so I would also post on the more popular social media platforms.

6 of the 12 people on my X-Country tour were 55 or above. Of those 6, 5 were 60 or older. One turned 76 during the trip. 2 were in their 30s, myself included. 4 were in their early 20s. I encounter far more older people than younger people doing unsupported touring. I think they tend to have more time.

In any event, as I explained in the OP's duplicate thread in Touring, ACA has an online "Companions Wanted" page. Also, assuming an east-west start (based on the start date), he will almost certainly run into others following the same route. One year I spent a few days on the TranAm route in MT. One night I camped with no fewer than 10 other riders heading west, most of whom had started in mid to late-May. Another year I ran into a Scottish fellow heading west as I was heading east. Not 5 miles later I met another westbound Scottish rider. He had no idea a fellow countryman was just up the trail.

I sit corrected. :) Thank you for volunteering ;)

Merged duplicate threads.

Please do not cross post.

As indyfabz noted, the Adventure Cycling forum Companions Wanted thread is a good place to start looking. And there's a natural current of cyclists headed west, ebbing and flowing, such that you'll often have a chance to ride with "strangers" that you've seen on the road and at camp for two, three, or more nights.

I started thinking of the natural places to meet bike tourists in the evenings, and came up with this list:
Mineral, VA, behind the fire station
The campground on the river just past Vesuvius, when you come off the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Place in Damascus, VA (just keep your booze in the bars and out of the house!)
Council, VA picnic area
Hindman, KY (can't remember the name of the place but it's famous!)
Any of the Kentucky state parks, or the one across the Ohio River at Cave in Rock
State and town parks in MO
Town parks in Kansas (often with a pool to cool down!)
Town parks in Saratoga and Lander, WY
Jeffrey City, WY
Twin Bridges, MO

It seems to be more difficult to keep a casual group together in mountainous terrain. Slower riders, well, have a hard time keeping up. On the other hand, once you get into the western mountains, there aren't many good stopping points. Water supplies are mostly in towns, often 50 miles apart, so look for loaded bikes outside restaurants, groceries and convenience stores.

The big number of people I mentioned above was at Jackson (Montana) Hot Springs, I’ve spent a total of 6 nights at the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges, MT. Encountered maybe 10 others during those stays. Encountered 5 in Jeffrey City.

Forgot about Jackson! Neat place to stay (not cool, I think it was about 95F the afternoon we got there!), and in the middle of nowhere.

Through the years, I have on occasion met others and ridden for a short way, or for days and even weeks.

One thing I find after the suggestion comes up, is to agree that whenever, and for whatever reason or no reason at all, that either one can simply say ”I think it’s time to go back to riding alone”… and that both are cool with that 😊

Was last there five years ago in mid-June. Very cold and windy. The hot springs resort was closed early in the week. I opted for a room in the bunkhouse a guy had recently opened in the building that used to house the post office. He also allowed camping. The merchantile had closed several years ago. The only place open to get food was Rose’s Cantina. Google says it’s now permanently closed.

I’m planning to be out that was this spring. I’m considering staying there if the hot springs will be open and still allows camping. If not, I’ll brave the mosquitoes of Wisdom. The American Legion park there is in a dramatic setting, and there have been improvements made over the years. But I’m sure the mosquitoes are still a constant. Back in 2000, they were so bad that I set up my tent inside the screened picnic shelter.

I have done several tours with a friend and former co-worker, and also have done some solo trips. And two ACA trips. And two Europe bike trips with REI Travel. (Side note: REI Travel is canceling all trips, no longer doing trips.)

While I like the companionship of traveling with someone, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. When you are traveling solo, if you want to change the itinerary or schedule, you are a committee of one, change it without argument. If traveling with someone, the committee that decides may have a tie vote.

Do you plan to travel together during the day, in which case you both should have the same desired pace and stamina. Or do each of you have your own navigation equipment so you can make sure you can make your destination without problems? And of course desired distance is an issue to decide every day.

Are you both at about the same level of fitness?

Are you cooking as a group or individually? If as a group, there is opportunity for conflict.

And of course do you both have the same desire for frequency of motel vs camping?

If you are traveling with someone and you each have your own equipment (tent, cooking gear), if you want to split up during the trip, no problem, you can. If you are sharing equipment, you are locked into a group.

After I did Pacific Coast with a friend, I decided not to do another trip with him. And then, three years later we did a Florida trip together, I again decided to never do another trip with him. And six years later we did Natchez Trace and we both had enough arguments that this time I am most certain that we will never do another trip together. We are still friends, but, no more trips.

On one of my solo trips, I met a gal at a hostel, we were both going in the same direction for a while, we traveled together for two days. It was fun traveling with someone I met along the way. If you are on an ACA route, there is the chance you will meet others in campgrounds, etc.

When it comes to traveling with someone, you are much less likely to have arguments about who is doing most of the work if you have a goal of doing 20 percent more than your partner.

Sounds like a great adventure! As others have mentioned, and as you are likely already doing, posting on other sites may help. There are active bicycle touring communities on ******, Facebook, and elsewhere.

And if you haven't heard of them, consider joining Warm Showers. I've hosting many bicycle tourers, many of them younger, many going on big trips like yours.

Best of luck!

On my ACA unsupported Northern Tier trip we had a guy who tried to do as little as possible. When we shopped as a group before heading to camp, he would dash to the carts outside the store and grab the lightest items he could get his hands on. Things like tortilla chips. We couldn’t figure out if he knew the rest of us realized what he was doing.

And he hated doing group dishes during his cooking days. He would often sneak out of camp in the morning after tossing the garbage, leaving his partner to do all the group dishes. The rest of us would take up his slack. This particularly pissed me off because my share of the group gear was a big pot that was often used for a dishpan, so I couldn’t get on the road until dishes were done.

I would find a ride that isn't half CORN and dead towns in the middle and BORING muddy gravel rail trails in the eastern half. But then I do zero tenting, only motels or layovers with relatives. I never tried warmshowers. I never cooked either. I know, money you don't have likely.
Check out the many YT tour videos, like British 60+ guy> Matt Ryder adventures. He got so p!ssed off at dangerous narrow highways in Idaho, he veered off the official route after Yellowstone. After Illinois it was so pathetic with rain and gravel that I quit watching. The other tiers are no less dangerous, as in Montana hwy 20. He had better luck doing the GDMBR starting in Calgary, now he's off to NZ.

>> So IMO Stay in the NW mountains and along the coast. I did a 98 days/ 3,900 miles loop with ZERO days that were dreary or regrettable. Also zero buggy days either and only 6 days with much rain, way more too hot days. I do have the very oddball liking for going thru big cities as well with parks and museums. I did have a bunch of stupid smoky sky days.
From Edmonton Canada on May 18, 2018. > I went to Calgary, Banff, Golden, Revelstoke, south at Sicamous to Penticton, to Vancouver and the island 11 days, Seattle, Olympia, to the ocean by Astoria and Seaside, Portland, Hood River, Kennewick, north to Spokane and Idaho, then back up to BC hwy 3 and Calgary.
Jasper to Banff was actually better to include, then a horrible forest fire ruined the Jasper end. I can say I had near zero dangerous miles, most with a decent shoulder. Interstates don't bother me at all. My overall route was fairly set, but along the way I picked the next days destination mostly in 9 to 4:30 time. Got a motel and supper, then puttered around the town a while. Laundry after 6 or 7 days.

For the OP, It's really better to just see who you find along the way. There's lots going the way I did in BC. Easy to find if you camp like 90+ % do. If you did my first half, maybe then keep going south to San Francisco or Reno and fly home. There's a lot of hard miles if going on to Salt Lake, the next big airport.

I also drove my car and bike 2 months the year after, all the way to Halifax and back thru 22 states.
There's a couple from Ottawa that biked the whole country in 2024. They had a miserable wet time in NB and Nova Scotia that didn't even have paved shoulders on freeways. NO such nonsense in Alberta.
So I know there's plenty poor riding in eastern Canada as well.

A couple times I tried riding with guys, didn't last an hour they couldn't even keep up at 11 mph. LOL.https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f797c863e6.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d946528860.jpg

There is nothing that says you can't do some of both... reach out in advance in forums like this or Adventure Cycling Companions wanted and also see who you meet along the way...

A majority of my riding has been solo but I've also done rides with others. Even those rides with others are in different modes...

In one category are rides with my brother where we are very much linked together. We share camping and cooking gear. This means we're going to travel together every day. We have mostly similar touring speeds so we're also together most of the day. We enjoy each other's company. This has helped in exploring so more distant places (e g. Ukraine/Russia trip for six weeks, Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Guyana/Suriname, Colombia/Ecuador, Timor Lester/Indonesia, etc)

A different category is where I've connected with an otherwise stranger via Internet in advance and then tried traveling together. Some have worked very well but also sometimes end up finding differences in touring speed or touring style and figuring out how to work through them. Two examples:

On my trip across Russia I used Adventure Cycling Companions Wanted forum and received ~15 responses. About 4-5 were more serious and for various reasons it ended up being one person (Mickey) and we traveled together for 4.5 months from St Petersburg to Vladivostok. Some things worked well - shared Dutch language, shared adventures and travel. However also differences: she cycled faster than I did, I had more preference for occasion hotels she more camping all the time, I was more morning person, etc.

So we ended up finding a way to make it work. Most days I left early, she later and would then pass me before stopping ahead somewhere for lunch. We were separate until close to end of the day when we'd sync to find a place to get water and would then camp with tents next to each other.

We also missed each other a few times including once for 10 days in the Ural mountains.

The other example of stranger touring was on trip across the Americas from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia. I also put an Adventure Cycling Companions Wanted posting and got more responses. Connected in advance with one person and we arranged to fly into Prudhoe Bay and try traveling together.

We left together but then ended up not traveling together after that. It was a cold day with temperatures in the 20s and light snow. I was faster and we rode together for few miles but it was cold to keep waiting for too long. So we separated and agreed to meet/camp at the first roadside toilet. He never made it and instead camped short by a dozen miles. From that point we kept touch in our respective journeys but ended up traveling separately.

A different category from connecting in advance has been meeting along the way and then riding and/or camping together. I've done this at times on popular routes including Ruta 40 in Argentina, Baja Peninsula and in Australian Outback. It was often informal from camping in same places and then leap frogging. Worked well and figured out different styles and then at some point we went out own ways again.

To bring things back to original point - nothing says you can't do both a "try connecting in advance" AND "meet along the way" approach and see what happens. From my experience I might also expect differences in touring speed and touring styles so unless you know these in advance from prior trips or an existing relationship I suggest keeping things so you can also travel separately if it turns out that works better.
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One tip I would offer is to ask whether your potential partner snores a lot/loudly. We had several bad snorers on our group trip. I’m talking Fred Flintstone bad. It was so bad we adopted a segregation policy in both campgrounds and indoor lodging.

Apologies indy. I now sleep with CPAP!

FredF (aka BobG)

I don't remember you being the issue. Three of us woke up the first night of the trip, before you joined, to snoring so loud that it made us laugh. I had never slept in a tent before and thus had never considered how they provide no sound insulation whatsoever. I remember Jerry saying "I have never heard anyone snore so loud in my entire life!" With that, Ellen, who we didn't know was awake, started laughing.

BTW...Did you know that Jerry, the former member of the CHiP, died in a motorcycle accident? The irony is thick, as he survived riding a motorcycle for his 30-year career with the patrol. I don't know when that was, but Emily, who now lives in Ashland, OR, told me a couple of years ago. I was actually in Ashland for 2 days back in 2012 during Cycle Oregon, but I had no idea she was living there. A month later I got an email from her out of the blue.

How large of a group did you go with/how did you find it?

1. Most of my touring is solo.
2. In advance:
a. group of two multiple times with my brother, several times with a friend - existing relationships
b. group of two : online postings twice, online contacts once
c. group of three: online posting once
3. Along the way: multiple times, groups from 2-5 typically
4. Organized paid bike trips; TDA - 3 times (~25 across China, ~60 across Africa, ~20 across Patagonia); Spice Roads 3 times (~8 Thailand, ~10 Cambodia, ~4 Vietnam), bikechina - 4.
5. Large rides as events: Ride the Rockies, Bicycle Tour Colorado, Bike Ride Across Tennessee, RAGRAI

So most touring solo, small groups in advance either known or online postings, handful along the way informally, larger groups more in paid tours, very large rides mostly as events.

12 plus a group leader. 2 people dropped out along the way.

I used Internet access at work (I didn’t have a home computer.) to search for tour operators. I was originally considering doing a supported tour, but the daily mileages and costs were too high, so I settled on Adventure Cycling Association.

You did not say if you have much camping experience, long distance bicycling experience or bike touring experience. If you have none, I encourage you to do some short trips near home. Start with a two day trip to a state park if there is one close by where you could spend the night and ride home again.

Whether or not you find anyone to ride with, you will benefit greatly if you have some experience before you start.

I'm building a bike packing bike now in prep for a trip to Seattle from Des Moines in about that same time period.
I haven't ridden cross country before but have walked and hitched across the country quite a lot.
A bike ride seems routine and luxurious considering. I plan to tent and hotel as needed.
I'd be down for a companion to Seattle although I am good by myself. You could stay a bit at my place in Des Moines before we take off.
Msg. me and we can discuss.
Mike/